Upsetting the Scales
by KaoTheHedgehog
Summary: "Destroy the old order. Bring about a new one." That is the motto of the Seven Chaos. But doubts begin welling up in Yuji Sakai in the mission to awaken a lost hope...
1. The Master Plan

Kao the Hedgehog sat on his swivel chair, carefully studying the contents of a large piece of parchment on the table. It was well past midnight, and with only a small lamp to light his workplace, he strained himself to stay awake. He was about to reach for another sip of his now cold honey-lemon tea when he heard knocking on the door to the room.

"Kao. It's Yuji. Can I talk with you for a bit?"

"Come in then," he replied. Yuji walked in and took a seat next to him.

"Unable to sleep, hedgehog?" boomed a voice from Yuji's ring: The Snake of the Festival.

"Eh, I'll be fine, Fu Xi," Kao answered as he reached for his cup of tea.

"Please do not refer to me with that dishonorable name," the Snake told him.

"Can it, dude. I'm trying to stay awake here," Kao shot back. Pencil in hand, he proceeded to make notes on the parchment.

"So…are you sure you can do this? Changing the fate of an entire world?" Yuji asked him. He and his other teammates were shocked at Kao's decision to directly intervene in and alter the events of the world of Madoka Magica. Although he had done the same thing with his Misaki City, Yuji knew that this was an entirely different world that he was tackling. Based on what he read from Kao's _Codex_, this Madoka Magica world possessed levels of magic on par with that from his universe. While this was certain to pose a problem for them, one burning question was his main concern:

"Is this really the right thing to do?"

Kao let out a small sigh. "Yuji, I know what you're thinking. But I really am going through with this. Homura may have had the right intentions at the time…" he then paused to finish his tea. "But if I want to save the Madoka universe from Darkness, I will need Goddess Madoka as well."

Yuji was about to speak, but Kao held up his left hand to cut him off, "Save your words. I don't wanna argue right now. Call me selfish, but I believe this _is_ the right thing to do, and I will stick by it. Trust me."

"But-"  
"Trust. Me."

Yuji then tried to come up with a counter-argument to Kao. Although he knew that all his actions during his one time as the leader of Bal Masque were ultimately for the best, he could not forgive himself for causing a lot of pain and suffering for the Flame Hazes he was fighting at the time, as well as any humans caught in the war.

He didn't agree with what Homura did either, but he felt that Kao's plan was highly uncalled for. Many other unnecessary lives would be involved and lost, he feared, but he was also afraid of Homura herself. A demoness was not to be underestimated, especially one that was able to pull a goddess down to normal and succeed in doing so.

As he was about to voice his concerns, the Snake decided to speak up. "I sense many things are troubling you, Yuji Sakai. It is understandable, but it is best if you trust in the hedgehog."

"I just…I just don't want a repeat of that time as the Supreme Commander of Bal Masque. You know how I feel about that, don't you?"

"Just trust me on this one," Kao told him again. "I know what I'm doing. Now go back to bed. I'm not in the mood for discussing this right now. Next time, okay?"

Yuji let out a sigh as he stood up to go back to his room. "I hope you're right," he said in a worried tone.

"Good night," Kao called out after him. He took a deep breath and exhaled. There was more to do that night. And the following nights.

Yuji walked slowly back to his room and climbed back into bed with a sleeping Shana. Shana felt him pull off the covers slightly and woke up.

"Mm, something wrong Yuji?" she asked sleepily.

"Ah, it's about what Kao told us this morning. About how he wants to change that world's fate," Yuji replied, his worry growing. "I'm not sure if it's the right thing to do." Shana then sat up and hugged him. Yuji then hugged her back.

"It's okay Yuji. I'm here for you whenever. I'll be there to help you," Shana reassured him, and followed up with a kiss on his lips.

"Thanks Shana," he said after the kiss. "I love you." The two cuddled together and went back to sleep.

* * *

\- Months Later -

"Here you go, Kao. Your two custom Soul Gem recorders," Tails the Fox said as he handed them to Kao.

From the dining table where he and everyone else were eating breakfast, Kao almost spit out his honey-lemon tea upon hearing the news. Swallowing the tea in his mouth, he exclaimed, "Well that was fast!"

"So, whaddaya think?"

"Masterful work as always, Miles," Chaos complimented him as Kao held up the two Soul Gems to inspect them more closely.  
"Dude, you really sweat the details on these things! Thanks so much!" Kao told Tails and gave him a hug.

Meanwhile, Yuji forked at the scrambled eggs on his plate.

"Yuji? Something wrong?" Suguha Kirigaya asked him while biting into her toast.

"Sort of. I'm pretty worried about this grand idea of his. Even though I've helped him plan everything for this, I'm worried about screwing up and not being able to fix it," Yuji told her.

"But don't you and Shana have your Power of Existence? If something gets damaged, you can easily fix it, right?"

"It can't bring back dead people. Or prevent a demoness's wrath." Yuji then let out a sigh. "I wonder if he knows about all of that…"

Kao led Tails to the front door and bade him goodbye. After walking back to his seat, he tapped his spoon on his cup of tea and announced, "Okay guys! This is it! Time to put all that planning and calculation to the test! Finish up your breakfast and get ready cause we're going to the Madoka world right now." He then glanced at Yuji and noticed his blank gaze off to the side of the room.

Returning his attention to the entire group, he then raised his cup and shouted, "Here's to success!" The others raised their drinks and clinked it with Kao's cup. Yuji did as well, though somewhat halfheartedly.

"Jeez, you can be so dramatic at times," Kina the Hedgehog called out from the kitchen.

"I try, honey," Kao called back.

After the group finished their breakfast, they gathered outside Kao's house. Kao then raised his trusty sword Blade of the Dragons high in the air. He, Kina, and Chaos began channelling Chaos Energy into the blade.

Yuji stood watching the blade glow green with energy. He still felt uneasy about the mission as a whole, but he also somehow felt assured that Kao knew what he was doing. Surely, Kao had taken his feelings into account and would try to make the mission painless for him, he thought. He then felt Shana holding his hand.

"Yuji. Look at me." He then turns to face her. "Whatever happens, I'll always be by your side," she told him with a small smile. In response, he clenched her hand tighter.

Kao, Kina, and Chaos stop channelling Chaos Energy into the sword, and Kao swings the sword downwards, creating a green rift in the space in front of them. The rift widens and a clear image of their destination appears: Mitakihara Middle School.

"After you guys," Kao sheathes his sword and motions everyone to walk into the portal. As the two Flame Hazes were about to walk in, he stopped them for a short question. "You guys gonna be fine? Yuji?"

"Y-yeah. We'll be fine," Yuji replied as they walked into the portal.

* * *

_"Hmm?"_

"Homura-chan? Is something wrong?

_"I feel…a strange presence…"_

"Homura-chan, are you okay?"  
"Oh, uh, yes. I'm fine Madoka. You don't need to worry."  
"O-Okay then. If you say so…"

_"I have to protect Madoka…She might be in danger!"_


	2. Beginnings

"Your wish has surpassed entropy. Rise, Madoka Kaname, and fulfill your destiny as a magical girl!"

Madoka Kaname felt a strange sensation over her body as her Soul Gem materialized in front of her. She then reached out with both hands and cupped the newly formed Soul Gem. "Thank you, Kyubey," she tells the white cat-like creature.

* * *

It was a clear and sunny morning in Mitakihara City. Students took their sweet time, chatting with friends, as they walked along the main path to Mitakihara Middle School. Madoka ran down the path and met up with her friends Sayaka Miki and Hitomi Shizuki. The three exchanged their plans for the day and shared a couple of laughs, when the warning bell rang, signaling that classes were about to start. "Oi! We gotta hurry up or Saotome-sensei's gonna be mad!" Sayaka told them as she started running for their classroom.

Off to the side of the path to the school's front gate, a green portal slices open.

"And we're here, guys. Timeline One," Kao told his group as he steps out of the rift. "Hoo, it's been a while since I was here," he reminisces while stretching his arms up.

"You mean 'we', honey. Me and Chaos were here that time too. Gosh," says Kina as she smacks him behind the head with her staff. He clutches the back of his head in pain.

The other members gaze at the surroundings, caught up in the beauty of Mitakihara City. It was a feast for the eyes: the architecture and greenery together made for an environment unlike what they have been used to back in their respective worlds.

"I never knew humans were capable of creating such beauty despite not being able to control Power of Existence. Fascinating, to say the least. Wouldn't you agree, Flame of Heaven Alastor?" the Snake commented on the surroundings.

"Humans are always full of surprises, Snake of the Festival. You know that very well," Alastor replied.

Yuji took his time taking in the beauty of the scenery around them. It was certainly different from his hometown or Xanadu. "Wow. I wish Misaki City was at least half as pretty as this," he said in astonishment. "Everything's so beautiful."

"Same here," Suguha replied with a giggle.

Meanwhile, Shana spotted a cluster of red lilies growing nearby and walked off to pick them.

"Um, I don't think that's okay to do, Shana…" Kina called after her, but Kao put his hand on her left shoulder. "It's fine. Let her." She then walked back towards the group, lilies in hand.

"Yuji. My hair," she stared at him and pointed to the front left side of her hair.  
"O-Okay. I don't really know how to do this," Yuji said as he awkwardly placed a lily in the side of her hair, but then fell off. He caught the falling lily and placed it in her hair again in the same way as before, but again it fell out of her hair.

"Sorry Shana. I don't really-"  
Shana made an angry expression on her face. "Hmph! Shut up! Shut up! Shut up! Do it right this time!" she yelled at him.

Much to Yuji's chagrin, the others could only laugh at the little lover's spat between them.

* * *

"Okay class! We have a new student joining our class today! Please walk up to the front and introduce yourself."

Homura Akemi, sporting twin braids and red-framed glasses, slowly made her way to the front of the classroom. Clutching her schoolbag tightly, she had a vulnerable expression on her face.

"H-Hello everyone. M-My name is…H-Homura Akemi. N-Nice to meet all of you," she introduced herself in a quiet voice.

Meanwhile, unnoticed by the entire class, Kao and the others stood on the left side of the classroom.

"Yuji, your Grammatica thing is so cool! It's as if we don't exist at all to these guys!" Suguha exclaimed.  
"Ahaha, thank you for that," Yuji put his hand behind his head in embarrassment.

Kao held out one of the Soul Gems towards the scene. This one started to glow in a purple light, a signal that the Soul Gem was now operating.

"So yeah, that's how you use this thing. Whenever we need an event recorded, just press the button to start it up. Press it again to stop," Kao explained to the rest of his group.

"It's hard to believe that that girl would eventually become the ultimate divine being of this world," Alastor commented.

"And that's what worries me the most," Yuji then said to him. "Who knows what she could do to us when we face her?"

"You worry too much, Yuji. Have faith in Kao and his plan," Chaos reassured him again.

Yuji sighed. "I know I should, and I am kinda hopeful that this will all be okay. It's just that I don't want to get others involved and possibly hurt. I don't want this to be like-"

"Yuji." Shana lightly punched him in his stomach, causing him to clutch his midside. "Just stop worrying. You're only making this harder for yourself," she told him.

"Yuji Sakai, I will say this again: Trust in the hedgehog. That is the least you can do for this mission," the Snake added. Letting out another sigh, Yuji then turned his attention to the scene as Kao deactivated the Soul Gem.

"Alright then. So that's how you do the recording bit. Shouldn't be difficult, but remember to remain hidden from your target should Yuji's Grammatica start wearing off. It could throw off our entire mission if they even start suspecting our existence," Kao explained to all of them. "Kina, Chaos, and I will be taking Orgel with us because we obviously cannot control Power of Existence for the stealth field. Yuji, Shana, and Leafa will make up the other team, as we had discussed. It's up to Yuji to keep his team's stealth field up." Kao then tossed the purple Soul Gem to Suguha. "We're not splitting up yet, but that ends the re-briefing. Best of luck to us all."

Suguha then handed the Soul Gem over to Yuji. "Well, here goes. Hopefully this goes smoothly and painlessly," he thought to himself as he held the Soul Gem in his right hand.

* * *

_"Maybe it would be better if you just died."_

"Maybe it would."

_"That's right. You should just die."_

"Just…die…"

Exhausted from the day's events, Homura slowly walked towards her apartment, eyes half-closed and not paying attention to her surroundings.

"Is that–" Alastor asked as he noticed a powerful distortion in the area in front of them.

"Yep. That's the one. The Witch Izabel's Labyrinth," Kina answered him. They watched as Homura unknowingly walked through the floating Witch symbol and out of sight.

"Phew, and I thought we weren't gonna make it in time," Kao breathed a sigh of relief. "Alrighty then, we're goin' in. Follow me closely and don't mess with anything," he commanded as he stood up from where the team hid and headed over to the labyrinth's entrance.

What was once a normal sunset sky was now colored a blood-red, with layered with spiraling "clouds". Its appearance looked something straight out of a Van Gogh painting: heavily stylized and unrealistic. The group watched as Homura was swarmed by numerous grotesque humanoids. They seemed to have no face, having only scribbles in place of it. The creatures approached Homura, and she braced herself for the worst.

"Kao, can't we help her?!" Suguha screamed at the hedgehog, who stood still watching the entire scene. He gave no immediate answer to her question.

Yuji knew what Suguha was planning that moment and was about to drop Orgel's stealth field, but Kao held his left hand crackling with electricity.

"Yuji, no. Just keep watching," he told him and dissipated the electricity from his hand. At that moment, two figures came to Homura's rescue. One was in a pink and white frilly dress and wielded a bow. The other was a blonde wearing a beret and fired two musket shots at the creatures approaching the poor girl. The creatures were then knocked back into a stone arch and binded to it with yellow energy strings.

"Thank goodness we came in time. It's alright now Homura-chan," Madoka told her friend.

"So those two are the so-called 'magical girls'?" asked Alastor from Shana's pendant. He had closely observed how quickly the duo had incapacitated the creatures and was impressed by their skill and power.

"They seem to possess as much power as a single Crimson Lord. Incredibly fascinating, but how can even a simple wish be this powerful?" the Snake mused.

"Oh trust me, Fu Xi, this ain't the end to the wonders of this world. Not by a long shot," Kao replied as he motioned for Shana to activate the purple Soul Gem recorder. As the scene progressed, Yuji found himself asking one question: "Why?"

_"Why was I about to do that?" _

Although he knew that he'd risk jeopardizing the entire mission if he helped the girl, he could not just stand by idly and let her fall prey to those creatures. He could have saved her...Thank whatever gods out there for those two magical girls coming in...

"Don't tell our class, okay?" Madoka told Homura as she fired a round of magical arrows at the tied up creatures, resulting in a large explosion. With them and the stone arch destroyed, the surroundings dissolved into the area around the bridge.

"That ends that, I guess," Shana said as she turned off the Soul Gem and started to walk to the portal that Kao sliced open. "Yuji, let's go! Everyone's waiting!" she yelled to her boyfriend, who was still standing in place.

"I don't know what to do anymore. But I'll see what I can do to help Kao for now," he quietly resolved to himself. Breathing another sigh, he then waved to Shana, signaling that he's on his way.

* * *

The Walpurgis Night. The most powerful witch in existence. No magical girl has ever been able to defeat it, let alone survive its onslaught.

And now, it was right there before their eyes, ready to wreak more havoc on the world.

A wide-eyed Suguha stared dumbfounded at the floating behemoth. "T-That's the Walpurgis Night?! I-It's huge! And those she's seriously fighting it alone?!"

"Leafa, no. You're not flying over there," Kao extended his hand to block her path.

Madoka readied her bow and fired a shot at the gigantic witch before jumping towards it and firing more shots.

"So this is where she..." Shana trailed off.

The Walpurgis Night's familiars materialized to block the arrows headed for the witch. A few more appeared and rushed en masse towards the lone magical girl.

"Sadly, yes. She did win, but..." Kina answered the Flame Haze's question.

Recovering from the rush of familiars, Madoka focused all of her magical energy into a single powerful arrow and shot it at the looming monstrosity. The arrow then split into numerous smaller arrows that made short work of more of the swarming familiars.

"...she was too weakened afterwards..." Kina continued.

Madoka then leapt at the Walpurgis Night and charged her bow with more magical energy, intending to use it as a blunt weapon. She dodged the remaining familiars that rushed towards her and reached the heart of the witch. With her last bit of strength, she plunged her bow into the chest, causing the witch to give an ear-piercing shriek. A pink build-up of energy soon swallowed both Madoka and the Walpurgis Night.

Homura could only stare in horror at her friend's impending doom.

"MADOKAAAAAAAA!"

* * *

"Hey, something's been bothering Homura lately, don't ya think?" Kyoko Sakura told her friend Sayaka Miki. "She seems…I dunno, more clingy-er than usual…"

"What can I say?" Sayaka answered. "That Homura's always been a strange girl. I'm not surprised in the very least." She quickly took another sip of the milkshake she was sharing with Kyoko.

"H-Hey! Leave me some to drink, okay?!"


	3. Wavering Flame

Yuji Sakai wore a rather grim expression on his face. He stared at the Soul Gem in his hands, then at the pink-haired girl writhing on the ground in pain.

Homura knelt next to her. "Kaname-san! Hang on! You can't-"

Madoka let out a weak "Why…" followed by another scream of pain as her blackened Soul Gem let out a dark miasma. It rose into the sky and took on its final form of a Witch.

Yuji was completely caught in this gruesome form of despair, but snapped out of it at the last second as the miasma began to draw everything around it like a black hole. Instinctively, he grabbed hold of Shana and Suguha and shielded them with his Grammatica spell.

Homura stared in horror at the abomination her friend had become. "How…How did it end up like this…" She grasped the top edge of her shield and twisted it downwards, travelling back in time once again.

"Yuji Sakai! This area is becoming more and more unstable! We must leave! NOW!" the Snake of the Festival yelled at him. Without another word, Yuji began channeling Power of Existence into another warp spell. Shana grasped his hand tightly and started channeling her own power into the spell.

* * *

"I have to tell everyone…Kyubey's tricking them all!" Homura exclaimed to herself as she stared at the mirror, her glasses shaking in her hands. She then rushed out of her hospital room, hoping to find one of the magical girls to break the bad news to.

Suguha sat down on the hospital bed where Homura awakened and closed the Soul Gem. A worried look was plastered on her face.

"The girl's on her third try now," Shana told her two teammates and sat next to Suguha.

"How much more do you think she can take? Kao told us that she'd done this so many times…I just feel so bad for her," Suguha replied to the former's statement.

Yuji slumped against one of the walls and slowly sat down on the ground. His thoughts went back to the previous events.

_I had thought we shouldn't interfere with this world for any reason…_

"A cruel fate that this girl is tasked to carry, even I would not wish such a thing on my worst enemies," Alastor spoke from Shana's pendant. The Snake let out a grunt of approval.

_But I put my full trust in Kao…That he's got this under control…_

He stared blankly at the Soul Gem in his hands. Heaving a deep sigh, he put his right palm against his forehead.

_So now…why? Why am I not able to trust him?_

He shook his head after hearing Suguha's voice. "Hey, you don't look too good. What's up?"

Yuji brought his head down and, in an almost inaudible voice, he muttered, "What the hell is going on…"

He then stood up and went up to the roof of the hospital.

"Yuji, what are you-" Shana called out after him but was cut short by Alastor.

"Leave him for now. The boy needs time to collect his thoughts."

"But Alastor, we gotta-" Suguha asked but was again cut off.

"Let him go. He seems to have gone through too much already."

* * *

"Yuji Sakai, calm yourself."

"How am I supposed to be calm about this?!" he shot back at the Snake. "Doesn't he understand how that girl feels?! Why CAN'T we help her?! Wouldn't that save more lives?!" He angrily swung his fist in the open space in front of him.

"What the hell am I supposed to do then?!"

The Snake began to talk, "Yuji Sakai, you must-" but was cut off as Yuji took the ring where he resided off of his left hand and threw it off the roof. Consumed with confusion and anger, he dropped on all fours and beat his fist into the ground.

"I thought…he understood…what I'd done…"

He then felt a pair of arms embrace him. "Yuji, it's okay. I'm here for you," a voice spoke softly in his ear.

He looked up and saw Shana. She grabbed his left hand and placed the ring back on.

"Thank you, Flaming-Haired Burning-Eyed Hunter," the Snake spoke from within the ring.

Yuji stared at the ring, then at Shana, and embraced her, a few tears streaming from his eyes.

"Stop crying now. You can't be like this all the time," the Flame Haze said softly and put her hand to his cheek. She then drew him for a kiss, which caught Yuji off-guard but returned it.

They broke the kiss and they looked into each other's eyes. "I'm sorry…for being weak like this," Yuji started but got a light hit on the forehead.

"Dummy, don't say that," Shana replied.

"C'mon! Cheer up, Yuji!" Suguha, flying in her Leafa form, yelled out at them from afar. "We got events to record guys! Hurry!"

Yuji and Shana then faced each other. "I have to tell him. I don't think I can stand for this any longer. I-" Shana embraced him again.

"Just a little bit longer, okay?" She then activated her flaming wings, turning her hair a bright crimson. "Let's get going," she told Yuji with a smile on her face.

With a sort of renewed spirit, Yuji also levitated off the ground, and the two flew towards the waiting Leafa.

* * *

"I'm sorry. I lied just then."

Madoka took out a Grief Seed and placed it next to Homura's dirtied Soul Gem. A bright light shone and Homura's Soul Gem reverted to a bright purple color.

"Madoka…What are you…"

"Hey, you said you could travel back in time, right? Then-" Another jolt of pain rushed through her body.

"Promise me one thing…Promise me…you'll stop me from becoming a magical girl…Okay?" Madoka smiled weakly.

"I promise!" Homura replied. "No matter how many times, I will save you! MADOKA!"

Kao the Hedgehog stared sadly at the scene unfolding.

"No matter how many times I see this unfold, it's too heartbreaking to keep watching," he told Kina and Chaos. He heaved a deep sigh afterwards as he kept recording.

"You know where Yuji and the others are? I haven't seen them at all since we started this mission," Kina asked.

Kao heaved another sigh and explained, "I wouldn't worry about that right now. I think I've put him through too much trouble already."

Chaos chimed in, "There is great distress in the boy's heart. He doesn't seem to fully trust your plan."

"No, not 'seems'. He totally doesn't trust me at all," Kao replied. "The two of us will have a talk soon. I'll be ready for whatever he's got. I think."

"Is it because the amount despair of in this world is getting to him?" Kina asked again.

"Maybe so. I know that he's still in withdrawal from that time as Bal Masque's leader, so if it has to deal with that, I can talk with him." Kao grabbed the handle of his sword and began channeling Chaos Energy into it.

The sound of a gunshot echoed throughout the area.

* * *

"Well, guess Kyoko and I will be heading home now. See you guys tomorrow!" Sayaka waved goodbye to her schoolmates and walked home with Kyoko.

"Have a safe trip!" Hitomi called out after them before walking the opposite direction with her boyfriend Kyousuke.

Madoka faced Homura, "Um, I think I'll be going ahead Homura-chan," and started walking, but was stopped as Homura hugged her tightly from behind.

She gasped at the sudden motion. "H-Homura-chan?" she asked aloud.

"No…I won't…let you go…" she spoke in a low voice in the pink-haired girl's ear.

"I have to protect her…"


	4. Face to Face

"They're here. They've come for her."

The black-haired figure sits by her table, deep in thought. Her stare at her prize possession unwavering, she is silent.

While mulling things over a cup of tea, she is interrupted by a small grotesque figure of a girl, with wide eyes and a sinister grin. It then starts growling at her as if it was communicating something to her.

She then takes another sip of her tea and chuckles softly to herself.

"I'll be waiting...I'll be ready..."

* * *

Kao the Hedgehog paced around the area, a look of concern plastered on his face, right hand on the right side of his forehead. His thoughts were centered on Yuji, particularly his welling doubt of the mission as a whole.

"Why the troubled look, Kao? I am fairly certain that this will be resolved quickly and decisively," Chaos reassured him. Kao's current behavior did not change.

"Chaos, have you forgotten the time he had snapped at that one Crimson Denizen? The boy is a formidable person all his own, and I'm scared of when that'll happen again," Kao countered back. He let out a small sigh. "I think I've pressured him too much. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea."

Kina the Hedgehog held out her staff and struck Kao on the head.

"Ow! What the heck?! What was that for, honey?!" he said loudly while grabbing the back of his head in pain.

Kina wore a scowl on her face. If there was anything in the world Kao feared the most, it was this. "Don't give me that crap. You can't back out now! We're too far into this already! So what? You scared Yuji's gonna snap? Are you gonna take that? Huh?!"

Kao attempted to regain control of the conversation and raised both of his hands. "Kina, honey. Listen to-"

"NO! You listen to me, honey! You said so yourself. 'Destroy the old order, and bring about a new one.' Have you lost sight of what that meant to you?!" Kina cut him off and reared her staff again to hit her husband. Kao then drew his own sword to block the strike in time.

"I can't believe you! You went in this thing so full of confidence. Now you're just gonna throw that away?!" She began charging a magic energy sphere and fired it at him, hitting him square in the face and sending him flying back a couple of meters. Kina then ran up and knelt next to him, about to land a slap on his face.

Kao braced himself for the imminent sting when a green portal appeared, with Shana, Suguha, and a clearly distressed Yuji coming out of it. Kao called out to them for help, but then noticed a light from Yuji's left hand.

"Wait, Yuji. What are you-" but Kao was cut off again as a blue fireball hurtled towards him. He raised his sword to block the strike.

"Yuji! What the hell?! What're you doing?!"

The enraged boy paid no attention and hurled another blue flame at the hedgehog. Kina proceeded to intercept it with her staff. Yuji continued to hurl fireball after fireball at Kao, rage and confusion behind every shot.

"YUJI SAKAI! STOP THIS RIGHT NOW!" the Snake boomed from the ring on Yuji's ring finger, but it his words fell on deaf ears as his partner switched from shooting fireballs to running up to Kao and attempting to slash him.

"Yuji! Stop what you're doing! Please!" Shana yelled from behind, but Yuji was too consumed by rage to hear her screams.

Kao kept sidestepping the boy's flaming sword slashes, but Yuji showed no sign of relenting. Kao then caught his heel on a protruding piece of rubble and was thrown off balance, earning him a solid slice down his left hip. He collapsed down to the ground, clutching the wound in pain.

He braced himself for another strike when he noticed an energy barrier being put up around him. Yellow energy tendrils wrapped around Yuji's arms and legs, denying him any movement.

"STAY PUT!" Kina slammed her staff into the ground, the bindings forcing Yuji downward as well.

"YUJI!" Shana and Suguha called out and rushed over to his side, but Kina redirected them to her side via a quick Chaos Control.

"You. We need to settle this right now. Start talking," she said in an icy tone.

"Shut…UP!" Yuji yelled as he fought his restraints and launched a fireball at Kina, who quickly extinguished it by creating a wall of water from the ground.

Kao, clutching the gash on his leg, hobbled over to Yuji. "Okay. Care to tell me what's going on with you?"

"I think you already know that, Kao," he replied with malice in his voice.

The hedgehog let out a sigh. "Yuji, look-"

"'LOOK' WHAT? 'JUST TRUST ME'?! LIKE HELL THAT'LL HAPPEN! YOU KNOW WHAT I'VE BEEN THROUGH! WHY DID YOU JUST CAST THAT ASIDE THEN?!" the boy snapped at him.

Kao let out another sigh. "Kina, release him," he told his wife, who did so immediately. He walked up and then knelt down next to him.

"Yuji, let me speak now." He paused for a moment before starting. "You're right, I shouldn't have rushed headfirst into this without making sure you were really okay with this."

Kina looked at him in shock. "Honey, what are you saying?!"

The male hedgehog continued, "However, this is not to say you're off the hook. You are too concerned with your past as the leader of Bal Masque. You're letting that past haunt you to today."

"I'm just trying to learn from my mistakes! I caused so much pain and suffering for a lot of people and killed all those who got in my way! Do you even know how that feels?!" Yuji explained.

"You're not learning from it, Yuji. You're running away from it," Kina replied bluntly.

The boy stood up to protest, but Kao continued for her. "Think about it. You're calling what you did back then a 'mistake'. Are you calling Shana's happiness now…a 'mistake'?".

Hearing those words made Yuji freeze in shock, but seeing the worried look on Shana's face hurt like a sharp knife to his heart, and he sank down to all fours. "Shana…" he muttered while holding back his tears.

Kao knelt next to Yuji and put his hand on the boy's shoulder. "Yuji…Let me tell you why you are here right now. Again."

"What you did as the Snake, you find horrific, I understand. To be with Shana, you killed those who got in your way. You painted yourself as the bad guy, and even now, a lot of Flame Haze still hate you for what you've done…" He trailed off and noticed the boy clench his fists in hatred.

"But even with all that said, I still have so much respect for you," Kao finished.

Upon hearing these words, Yuji's eyes widened. "What?! Wh-What do you mean?"

"Just that. For you to be the bad guy and put yourself through that much crap for something so noble. I find nothing more admirable in a person than that. Heck, I don't think I could last being hated for so long like you did," the hedgehog replied with an honest tone.

Chaos stepped forward and started talking. "Child, is that not what a hero does? To take whatever path no matter how dirty it is?" He grabbed Yuji's arm and pulled him up. "Stand tall, Yuji. You have no need to run away from your past."

As Yuji stood up, Kao pulled him into an embrace and patted his back. "You had the guts to go full evil and you still got what you desired in the end. The Snake made a wise choice partnering with you, and so did I," the hedgehog told him and the Snake gave a grunt of approval. Yuji fought back more of his tears and returned the embrace, holding Kao tighter.

"I...I don't know what to say…" he told Kao in between his sobs.

"No need to. Now if you will turn around…" Kao replied. Shana was hugging Yuji from behind and Kao let go of his embrace. Yuji in return wrapped his arms around the Flame Haze.

"Yuji…" Shana began with a small crack in her voice. "Don't ever do something like that again...you idiot…" She softly beat her right fist into his chest and let her tears roll down her face.

The boy embraced his girlfriend and whispered, "Shana...I-" but he was cut off as she kissed him on the lips. They broke apart and Yuji looked into her eyes. "I'm sorry for being so weak...but no matter what, I'll always love you." Shana replied with a smile on her face and embraced him again.

"Well, all's well that ends well," Suguha called out. "C'mon everyone! Let's get this mission going already!" Rather hastily, took a step forward but caught her leg on a piece of rubble and fell face first into the water on the ground.

"Who's there?!" A voice shouted out.

Suguha's eyes widened in shock upon hearing the voice. In a panic, she looked at Yuji, then Shana, and Kao.

"We, uh, never set up that spell...did we?" Kao asked the team, which sent Suguha into a full-blown panic attack. She clutched the sides of her face and was on the verge of screaming. Instead she let out a yelp as a cutlass almost cut through her chin.

"Well, well, well. What have we here, huh?" A red-haired girl in a ponytail said aloud while munching a Pocky stick in her mouth.


	5. Encounter!

The toy soldier-like figures gathered and formed massive stood still, anticipating their master's orders. Standing in front of the formations were small children. Their eyes flashed many colors and they all wore razor-toothed smiles. They held tomatoes in their hands, and they swayed restlessly, wanting to throw the tomatoes at something or someone.

Hovering above them was a raven-haired girl, clad in a feathery outfit and her wings were outstretched. She had a blank stare on her face and seemed as vigilant as her soldiers.

"Come, fools. If you dare."

* * *

Sayaka Miki held the blade of her cutlass closer to Suguha's chin, prompting the latter to kick it out of her hands and assume a defensive stance. Although stunned, the blue-haired girl simply recalled that sword back into her right hand.

Shocked, Kyoko Sakura yelled out, "Hey! You'll pay for that, you bitch!"

She clutched her spear and started running towards Suguha, hoping to impale her. Suguha responded by touching her Spiral Bracelet on her left wrist, letting out a bright flash of green light and disorienting Kyoko momentarily.

"What the hell?! What's going on?!" Sayaka wondered aloud as she and her partner shielded their eyes from the bright light. As the Spiral Energy dissipated, Suguha, now clad in her Leafa equipment, drew her sword and whipped up a small whirlwind around its blade.

"Oh, that's how you wanna play, huh? Bring it then!" The two magical girls let out battle cries and charged towards her.

Shana reached for her Nietono no Shana in her cloak while Yuji summoned Blutsauger. Likewise, Kao gripped his dual swords, but told the two, "Stand ready, but let's watch for now."

"This just might be what we need," he added.

Suguha, not fazed by the two girls, smirked slightly and thrusted her sword at the two oncoming girls, releasing the whirlwind she had been building up into a vicious green vortex that sent Kyoko and Sayaka flying backwards. They both suffered multiple cuts over their bodies, but Sayaka's magic immediately healed her cuts, whereas Kyoko stood up as if she took no damage.

"Looks like you aren't going down without a fight," Suguha commented as she clenched her Core Drill in her left fist. Kyoko and Sayaka again leapt at the Sylph, who proceeded to teleport above them and launch another vortex from her sword. This time however, Kyoko erected a lattice barrier that stopped the whirlwind. Sayaka then burst through the lattice and landed a solid slice to Suguha's front side.

The Sylph recoiled in pain and clutched her stomach. Sayaka summoned more cutlasses and Kyoko turned her spear into a chained weapon. She launched it and successfully trapped Suguha, preventing any movement. Sayaka followed up by launching all of her swords at Suguha, and all of them hit their mark, piercing right through their target.

"Hmph, we won that one. Not too tough," Sayaka remarked. Kyoko, however, squinted her eyes at their maimed opponent. "I heard nothing from when you impaled her…" she wondered. Her face went wide-eyed upon realizing that they had trapped a decoy.

"Peír slíta fimm grœnn vindr!"

Multiple razor wind projectiles from behind them headed straight for Kyoko and Sayaka, who intercepted them with her cutlasses. However, the real Suguha followed up with a blindingly fast sword strike on the blue-haired girl, sending her flying towards the ground.

"S-Sayaka!" Kyoko yelled and was about to fly to her, but Suguha extended her sword to block her.

"You're not going anywhere," she said smugly and proceeded to land a barrage of sword slashes against Kyoko.

Sayaka struggled to get up, using her sword as a crutch to prop herself up.

_"Who the hell is she? She doesn't look like a magical girl to me. And who are those guys with her?"_ she wondered while turning her head towards Kao and his group."Hmph, I'll take them out before they catch me!" She summoned multiple cutlasses and silently dashed off towards her targets.

Kao's eyes widened as he sensed the magical girl coming and told his group to be on guard and assume a circular position. Cutlasses started raining from Kina's side, but were blocked by an earth wall Kina conjured.

"Stay on the defensive! Do not counterattack! Again, do NOT counterattack!" Kao directed his friends as he sidestepped Sayaka's slashes. The magical girl continued her assault, but could not land a hit on any of them. Her attention then turned to the sudden explosion above her and her partner sent flying towards her.

"K-KYOKO!" She extended her hands to catch her and was also sent flying backwards, the two of them colliding with a stone pillar. The dust cleared and both girls struggled to get up. Peering through the dust, they noticed that their opponent was nowhere to be seen.

"Eh?! W-Where is she?!" Sayaka yelled out.

She was answered with a bright flash of green in the sky. Suguha raised her sword and focused Spiral Energy around the blade, creating a gigantic drill.

"FINISHING...MOVE!"

Shana had a surprised look on her face. "Is she-"

Determination burned brightly in Suguha's eyes as she readied her attack. "GIGAAAAAA…" her voice echoes

"Like hell that'll work! Rosso Fantasma!" Multiple copies of Kyoko appeared around her, and each clutched their spear tightly, ready to strike down their opponent. Sayaka summoned five giant cutlasses and applied a magic aura around all of them and summoned more behind her.

"...DRIIIIIILLLLLLLL…"

"Take this! Five Lillians!" Sayaka yelled as she flung all of her swords at Suguha, followed by her charging straight at her, covered in a magic aura as well. Likewise, Kyoko and her clones all rushed towards the Sylph.

Summoning all of the willpower and courage she had, Suguha yelled out in her loudest voice and flew drill-first:

"BREEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAKKKKKKKKKK!"

Sayaka and Kyoko charged directly towards Suguha and the gigantic energy drill headed their way. Kyoko arranged her multiple copies in a wall-like formation to block the energy drill, but Suguha effortlessly broke through the barrier. Sayaka intercepted it by quickly recalling her swords and spinning them in a disk formation. Instinctively, Kyoko backed her up and intercepted the drill as well with her spear, which surprised the blue-haired magical girl.

"Kyoko, what the hell are you doing?! Go and get her already! I can handle the drill myself!" Sayaka yelled at her.

"Haven't I told you before? There's no way I'll ever leave you by yourself, Sayaka. We're in this together, ya hear me?! SO LET ME HELP YA OUT!" Kyoko yelled back.

Sayaka smirked slightly at her partner's words, "You idiot..."

Hoping to quickly end the fight, Suguha fed an immense amount of Spiral Energy into the drill.

"It'll take more than determination alone..." She said as a green energy orb began building up at the drill's tip that the two magical girls were holding off. "...TO GET PAST THIS!"

"WHAT THE?!" Kyoko panicked as she noticed the energy orb charging where they were.

"DON'T SCREW WITH US!" Sayaka screamed and spun her cutlasses faster while Kyoko charged her spear's head with magic to make it oscillate. The two slowly chipped away at the energy drill and shattered it, the force sending them and their opponent backwards considerably.

"Eeeh?!" A shocked Suguha yelled out as both magical girls regained their bearings and flew at her. She fired the built-up energy ball at them in desperation, but Sayaka and Kyoko swerved around it and struck Suguha with their weapons.

The Sylph blocked their attacks in time and the three locked weapons with each other. However, she felt her strength quickly fading and her vision became blurrier with each passing second. Her grip on her sword started to slack, allowing Sayaka and Kyoko to easily drive her downwards.

"WE WON'T LOSE...TO YOU!" the two magical girls screamed at the top of their lungs as they forced their way downwards and slammed the Sylph into the ground, the impact making a small crater.

Shana wasted no time in making sure her friend wasn't hurt. She was the first to reach the edge of the crater, peering through the rising dust cloud to see what happened. As it dissipated, she saw Suguha sprawled unconsciously on the ground. Her sword was stuck in the ground a few feet away from her. The other two were still standing, albeit heavily exhausted from their final attack. They soon collapsed into unconsciousness as well.

Kao walked over to Suguha's body and scooped her up in his arms. "Yuji. Shana. Get to those two over there. We'll patch 'em all up to full health," he told the Flame Hazes, who hoisted Sayaka and Kyoko on their backs.

"So what is our next course of action, Kao?" The Snake asked from Yuji's ring.

"What we set out to do in the first place, Fu Xi: Change this world. Chaos, warp us somewhere safer," the hedgehog spoke in a determined voice.

* * *

The raven-haired girl eyed her prize possession with jealousy: A glowing pink quartz encasing the body of a girl with pink hair and wearing a school uniform.

"Fear not. You shall be safe where you are. So just stay there...right next to me. Okay?"

"My Madoka?"


End file.
